The Belfast City Council has unanimously approved the first reading of amendments to the city’s traffic ordinance, advancing a proposal to convert a section of Church Street to one-way travel and revise parking and stop-sign arrangements near City Hall and Post Office Square.
Under the proposed changes to Chapter 58, Church Street would become one-way northbound between Main and Market streets. Drivers could enter the block from Main Street and travel toward Market Street, but motorists approaching from Market Street would no longer be permitted to travel south toward Main Street.
The plan is intended to simplify the five-way intersection of Main and Church streets, where buildings limit visibility and turning movements can cause confusion. Converting the block to one-way traffic would effectively remove one approach from the intersection, creating a more conventional four-way traffic pattern.
Police Chief Robert Cormier told councilors that two crashes have occurred at the intersection since 2020, though neither resulted in injuries. He said delivery drivers have also identified the intersection as a problem.
“From everything that I’ve heard, it would be favorable to make the change,” Cormier said.
During the discussion, Councilor Paul Dean asked whether bicyclists would be required to follow the same one-way pattern as motorists. Cormier said they would.
Councilor Chris Bitely said the change would address the uncertainty many drivers experience when approaching the intersection.
“I think a lot of people are confused at this intersection,” Bitely said. “I think this is a peace-of-mind issue for them.”
Councilor Neal Harkness said the existing configuration may discourage motorists from using the intersection altogether.
“I think people avoid the intersection,” Harkness said. “I think they go out of their way to avoid it.”
Councilor Dan Miller said he initially had reservations about the proposal but became convinced that its safety benefits justified the change.
“I see it as all positive,” Miller said before the vote.
The amendments would also remove the stop sign controlling what is now the southbound Church Street approach to Main Street. The stop sign for northbound Church Street traffic approaching Main Street from the opposite side of the intersection would remain. New stop signs would be installed on the eastbound and westbound Market Street approaches to Church Street.
Additional signs, including do-not-enter and no-left-turn signs, would direct traffic through the redesigned area. Vehicles leaving the City Hall and KeyBank parking area would be guided into the new northbound pattern.
The proposal would also allow the city to re-stripe parking along the block, creating a combination of parallel and diagonal spaces. The redesigned layout would provide 20 on-street
parking spaces, one more than the current configuration.
Two spaces would be removed near the Belfast Historical Society and Museum, where Church Street narrows approaching Market Street, but additional spaces elsewhere would produce the net gain. The project would also establish a fully compliant van-accessible parking space in front of City Hall. An existing curb ramp may need to be moved or reconstructed to align with the new space.
City officials have described the proposal as a relatively inexpensive and reversible safety improvement because it would rely largely on signs, pavement markings and a reallocation of existing street space rather than major construction. The city engineer, Police Department, Public Works Department, Planning and Codes Department and city administration reviewed the plan without opposition.
The project grew out of the 2025 Belfast Active Transportation Plan, which recommended incremental changes to reduce turning conflicts and improve safety at Post Office Square. The city’s Pedestrian, Transportation and Accessibility Committee reviewed two potential configurations before recommending the northbound one-way design.
The amendments are scheduled for a second reading at the council’s Sept. 15 meeting. If approved at that time, they will take effect immediately.
This story appears through a media partnership with Midcoast Villager.